Painted Tears
by AliRae
Summary: A crime, A friendship, A new found love?
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note**

**Just a quick starter to wet your metaphorical palettes**

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><p>McGee sat at his desk, head in his hands darkening the air with his mood.<p>

"McGoo, what's the matter?" Tony's gentle worrying is meet with a wall of silence and as Tony turns his questioning eyes to Ziva she shrugs in shared confusion. The pair have no time to ponder their friends clear unhappiness as the boss' gruff voice sounds behind them, amplified by the cool edges of the elevator, "Gear up, dead petty officer in Quantico; MOVE."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"Boss, you sure this is ours? That's a dead clown."

"Well yeah DiNozzo I can see that." Gibbs watches as his team moves about the crime scene, true professionals. In his more pensive moments he feels a father's pride for this family of his. "What you got for me Duck?"

"Jethro," the doctor's rich tomes ring out in greeting, "this poor fellows been dead 6-8 hours."

"How?"

"Blunt force trauma to the back of the head be my guess," Ducky tilts the head to show the bloodied hole in the base of the skull "But I can't be sure 'till I get him home."

"You ever seen anything like this?" It is rare for Ducky to be asked to recount a tale of his youth but with a dead marine identified only by the dog tags that ensnare this neck, dressed in the traditional Halloween costume of a clown with his own features hidden behind a painted face that tugs at the worn strings of Ducky's memory, Jethro will need all the help he can get.


	3. Chapter 3

As the truck rolls slowly into the garage, tensions are running high and nerves were shot. Ziva's driving had near killed them all and Tim had yet to emerge from his misery to converse with the world. Watching the team speed to the bullpen Gibbs calls out: "One cup of coffee then I expect answers," a trio of waved hands are his only response. Grumbling beneath his breath Gibbs heads off in search of coffee.

"So what do we know?" The usual fight for the flat-screen remote does not expectantly ensue so Gibbs knows they have very little, but asks anyway. "Tim, Tony, then Ziva, Go." "Petty Officer John Williams transferred from the Royal Marines 6 months ago, he was a Lance Corporal."

"Guess he wasn't trusted with that much responsibility he now talks to local high schools to inspire kids to enlist," continued Tony

"And he lives alone in a small flat 10 minutes from the base," concludes Ziva.

"It's hard to find a lot, the British don't let us look through their files without access being granted first," explains Tim, nervous at delivering the news. Gibbs feels their need for direction so starts offering orders to those around him,

"Tim go see Abby, try and find more about him, his must of left some sort of trail in six months, Tony I want a warrant for his apartment and Ziva try and get his records released."

Tony works quickly, securing a warrant may be the only part of computing he can do. Even as he thinks this, the computer screen goes dark. Swearing under his breath Tony races for the stairwell, McGeek will be able to fix this he has to. As he round the corner to Abby's lab out of eyesight but well within hearing distance, Tony hears the unmistakable purr of Abby flirting with McGee and before he can stop himself his mind is flung back to a conversation between McGee and himself.

_They had been in the elevator the last two to head home, Tim had reached across him and flicked the emergency stop switch, "Tony I need some advice,"_

"_McGee, I have a hot date and I really would rather be there than listening to you whine," Tony almost says it but the look of desperation on McGee's face stops him, "Sure what is it McTroubled?" _

"_Abby likes me again," Tony cannot deny it so stays silent, "She wants us to get back together." The silence between the pair seems to stretch on for an age before McGee softly whispers "I love someone else…. How do I tell Abby? If I upset her Gibbs will kill me." _

"_Abs is s big girl, trust me McGoo, she will be to busy wondering who it is to be upset, Tell her."_

McGee has clearly ignored his advice.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony bustled into Abby's lab shooting McGee pointed glares, McGee shrugged these off and queried, "You want something Tony?"

"You need to fix my computer McGeek, the gremlins broke it again." Muttering something about always gremlins McGee headed upstairs, Tony following in his wake unable to avoid the look of annoyance Abby sent his way. As the pair rounded the corner Tony growled in his most Gibbs like manner, "You gotta tell her Probie you can't keep stringing her along, if you don't tell her I will." McGee's expression an unusual mix of worry and fear transformed into a mask of horror and quickly spluttered "I will, I will just not today, please Tony?" The great DiNozzo was powerless under the puppy dog eyed stare of Tim and soundlessly surrendered.

After McGee managed some computer magic the team spent a brooding two hours in silence before Gibbs sent the team home claiming no work could be done 'till tomorrow and that his boat need his attention more that the silent statues before him. McGee and Ziva headed home together, Ziva's car had gone to the shop last week and McGee being McGee has offered to ferry her to and from work while it was repaired. Abby had her bowling with the nuns tonight and Gibbs had his boat, Tony had never felt so alone. He drove around aimlessly for the best part of three hours before finally heading home when the low fuel light woke him from the near comatosed stupor he had fallen into. As he reached his apartment he noticed light and TV chatter spilling from the windows. Tony felt an immense sense of gratitude, no one had a key to his apartment but right now he didn't care he needed some human interaction. Misery is a lonely business.

Tony pulls the keys from the dark depths of his coat pocket and contemplates reaching for his gun as the trade mark "How you doing?" of Joey Tribbiani fills his ears, whoever had that on his TV deserved to get shot. Yet as the keys grace the lock Pierce Brosnan replaces Joey. As he opens the door "James Bond, Golden Eye, and Boris' Chair Riddle" bombard him. "I heard you change the channel," Tony laughs. Anna looks crestfallen, and swears colourfully "Least I got the scene right," she pouts gesturing to the screen. Tony shrugs and asks: "What are you doing here?"

"You had a bad day, thought you could do with some down time." Tony doesn't ask how she knows she always seems to know.

"Ok, move over, I'm in a Bond mood,"

"When are you not?" The pair laugh softly together, comfortable like lifelong friends; "You wanna talk about it?"

"At the break ok? I just need a little unwinding time." Anna doesn't complain just relaxes and waits letting the film wash over her.

"We found a body, it was dressed as a halloween clown how sick is that?" Tony misses the look of dawning terror that flits across Anna's face as he continues his disgusted rant.

"Yeah," agrees Anna "But that's not why it was a bad day." There is no question in her voice only worry.

Tony nods mournfully "Tim didn't break it off with Abby."

"He doesn't love her though, he loves someone else," Tony had filled Anna in on the office gossip over coffee the previous week.

"Yeah." Tony pauses and seems to draw strength from his surroundings before whispering, "I thought he meant me. I thought for one brilliant second he meant he loved me." Anna cannot offer any words of comfort so holds Tony close in a bone-crushing hug. "I don't know who it is, it's gonna hurt whoever." Anna knows who it is but she is Tim's confidante as well as Tony's.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, totally forgot I hadn't uploaded this. Sorry. **

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><p>As Tony awoke from his slumped position on the couch he became aware of the empty space beside him, Anna had not stayed the night nor had he truly expected her to. Shaking himself awake he showered and dressed quickly, throwing himself into his car in a desperate bid to not be late for work. Arriving in the bullpen only McGee and Ziva wait in greeting for him. Gibbs is no doubt on his infamous morning coffee run. Noticing McGeek with a mountain of paperwork concealing both his desk and himself, Tony realises if he has any hope of a free weekend he must do the same.<p>

Half an hour later; the elevator rings, brash in the silence, three heads turn as magnets attracted to the sound. The person who exits the steel box has Tony and McGee on their feet staring in growing terror and horror. Neither notice the other standing so can only gawp in confusion when they shout in unison:

"Anna, What's wrong? What are you doing here?" Followed rather quickly by "How do you know him?"

Laughing at the pair Anna replies "Relax guys, there's nothing wrong and as for what I'm doing here I'm here to see _"

"Me" finished Gibbs before Anna could. "Any of you have a problem with that?"

"No boss."

"Never boss."

"No problem Gibbs."

Anna cannot help but grin at the almost unwitting control Gibbs holds over them. "Tony and I used to date, and I met Timmy at a book signing of his." Satisfied with this explanation Anna turns to Gibbs, smiles warmly and asks "Which number is it now?"

"3," came the curt reply.

"Bugger, I owe Dr Mallard $10, Damn it, Gibbs."

"You still haven't explained why you're here?" interrupted Ziva. Anna turns to encompass Ziva in her smile before turning to the silent shell shocked statutes of her friends. "You know how I wouldn't tell you what my day job is?" she doesn't wait for a response before continuing "Well, I'm a psychiatrist and I help the police back home in sunny England with crimes,"

"You any good?" This comes from Tim, slowly emerging from his shock. Anna shrugged and said, "I'm ok."

"Ignore her dear boy, she is world renown one of the best and only 22." The elderly ME had entered the room unaware by the others and was now smiling in greeting..

"Dr. Mallard I presume?"

"Indeed, call me Ducky I insist,"

"Ducky, I am flattered, it is great praise, coming from one such as yourself,"

Ducky laughs coolly but nods his own thanks at the compliment.

"Gibbs, do you think Abby could come up here? I hate to repeat myself and she needs to hear this." Gibbs nods and McGee is already on the phone talking quietly.

As Abby arrives, Anna declares in a tone laced in sarcasm, "And so, show and tell can begin."


	6. Chapter 6

"Tone make notes I'm not repeating anything and Tim I want everything on this screen to appear on there," Anna snaps her fingers impatiently after gesturing to the flat screen before her. After a few moments McGee nods and she smiles sadly to the group before adding a photo to the screen, "Ladies and gents meet Hugo Parker, convicted paedophile, dead. He used to pray on young boys, 6 or 7 years old think angelic choir boys," No one can miss that disgusted tone in her voice now, "He abused 6 boys, we identified 5, he never gave the name of the sixth, no one came forward. What child would? Bastard served 10 years, got out early on good behaviour. A few months, he was found dead stabbed repeatedly, 65 times in total. This was found carved into his chest," Anna pauses and adds another image to the screen. "It's the Roman numerals for six and ten. The sixth boy had done this, after waiting 10 years for his justice; he was only 16 at the time. This was 5 years ago."

"I can't say I'm not glad the monster's dead but what's that to do with us?"

"Gibbs, I don't make it a habit of recounting horrid things for no reason, let me finish please."

"About a year after an affluent British businessman was found killed in his hotel room, looking like this," A clown costume similar to that worn by the dead petty officer covers the corpse. "We had no idea what or who did it for a while, then we had three major breaks," Two more pictures greet the screen, the Roman numeral one and the painted face of the dead man.

"It's the same as our petty officer," confirms Ducky. "I recognise it but no idea where from."

"Here." A 'Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, the Children's Favourite Clown, Poster blanket the screen.

"It's the same face,"

"Yeah, Abs. The poster was behind Parker's desks, the boys took comfort in his face, or so they say. Our killer took a little more than comfort, more like an idea for revenge."

"What was the third break through?" calls Ziva.

"Forget the third what was the second?" shots Tony.

"The roman numeral, like on Parker's body, God Tony you're an idiot some times,"

"Thanks Abs."

"As I was saying, our techno geeks hit his laptop, they found kiddie porn staring out our Mr Bigshot no one knew, but our killer did. Decided to become a vigilante to protect the kids he failed."

"How did he know?" Gibbs to truly growling now, he hated the bad guys to have the upper hand, Anna knows this so starts explaining.

"Computer Virus, Bloody good. Our guys can't get near it, without it crippling our systems. But that's only victim one. Vic 2 was a librarian by trade, convicted paedo, abused the kids in the Sunday reading group. Was discovered when a kid asked his mom why he wasn't special, why he didn't get to go into the back room. You can guess the rest. He was out on bail awaiting jail. Our boy got in through police protection, killed him same get up, same virus same signature," A hollow laugh escapes her now. "It wouldn't have been so bad, the monsters dying in the night 'till some bright spark gave him the idea even good men fall."

The faces of the team are grey and horrified but she knows she must go on. "He started targeting innocents, whose only crime was working with children." Three faces are added to the screen. "Tom Slater, Priest. Robert Thompson, Primary school teacher and finally your petty officer. Well technically he's my lieutenant. Same MO just no reason now. One ever year."

"You said he started when he was 16 and he's now 21?"

"Yeah Tony, so?"

"That's only 5 years."

"Wow, I never knew your maths was so good, not just a pretty face," jokes Anna before continuing in a more serious tone, "Parker at 16, Johnson, that's our business man at 17, Jones the librarian at 18, Slater at 19, Thompson at 20 and Williams at 21. He stakes them, learns everything about them then strikes. Any questions?" Before anyone can say anything her eyes flicker in remembrance and asks "If I could get their computers to you, do you think you genii could crack that virus? Genii is the plural of genius," Anna adds after noticing Tony's confused look.

"No problem," promises McGee.

"Thanks Timmy, now any questions?" smiles Anna seemingly oblivious to the daggers Abby was sending her.


	7. Chapter 7

"How does he kill them?"

"He doesn't, God does," replies Anna, her voice dark showing no sign of joking.

"Heart Attack. But our young lad had a massive blow to the head," Ducky muttered sorrowfully.

"John fought." It was a simple statement but no one can miss the pride in her words.

"How?" shouts Gibbs, he had missed the unspoken explanation of cause of death and was angry at being left out of the loop.

"Sorry Jethro, would you care to explain my dear?"

"Of course Ducky, Tim can you bring up the head shot of John please?" Tim does so and Anna's breath catches in her throat, McGee moves quickly and holds her waiting patiently. After a few moments to collect herself, Anna backs smoothly from his embrace with an almost practiced ease, squeezing his hand and mouthing her thanks. "Zoom in on the tear on his right cheek," her voice shakes but remains clear. As the read tear fills the screen the injection mark in the centre is clear to all even the shortsighted Gibbs. "Phetetalen, virtually undetectable and causes all the symptoms of a heart attack. We noticed the mark early on but only realised what it was cause he over did the dose on Jones. Stressed."

"A heart attack is an act of God," murmurs Ziva softly.

In the silence that follows, Anna notices Tim's face and feels her own pale. "Timmy, What's wrong?" He shakes his head, silently disputing her worry. "Bull," she responds, "Please Timmy," her voice takes on a new tone of fear. All eyes are on Tim now and all reflect an unspoken fear, a fear of relation. As they stare at him unknown to one another they share a common thought" 'Let McGee not have been hurt.'


	8. Chapter 8

"When I was little," Timmy pauses seemingly unable to go on but this is enough to floor a previously standing Tony. Tim takes comfort from the weight of Anna's hand in his and begins again. "When I was little there was a priest back home. He used to say God would punish the evil." A lengthy pause follows, the office a pained silence of dread. "Sometimes God needed help. Think Lawnmower Man, fists instead of a belt." Tony reflects on the film and in a broken voice fills the others in.

"The Lawnmower man is simple minded and he lives with the local Father. If he forgets his chores he is beaten as punishment. God given punishment." Tony cannot keep his voice calm and he is spitting in anger at the end. Gibbs and his little families' faces darken in rage. Abby starts reeling death threats off at a whirlwind pace before Gibbs silences her with a look.

"He never hit me, I was – am a goody two shoes." Even Tony winces; unaware a popular nickname had such negative awful connotations. "My best friend, Pete; didn't see the point of Sunday school. Thought nothing of saying so, or maybe he did but thought it worth it. I don't know. Five Sundays after my eighth birthday the priest found Pete and beat him. He broke his arm in three places." A further pause before he whispers brokenly, "I was there. I was there Gibbs and I did nothing. I hid and let it happen. My best friend."

Tim's face crumples and his whole body shakes with silent sobs. Anna has to help him. "Timmy, did Pete's arm heal?" Anna knows the answer she had met Pete over a year ago, after seeing the pair in a coffee shop. She couldn't help but notice the pained anxious glances Tim frequented to Pete's right arm. Anna could see nothing wrong with it and hand demanded an explanation once Tim had left. "When we were kids I got hurt badly. Tim had seen it happen, there was nothing he could have done but he blames himself."

Anna hadn't known how it had happened nor how deeply it had affected her Timmy. But she could help him now. She repeats her question "Did his arm heal?" determined to get an answer. McGee nods. "Could you have stopped it?" Timmy shakes his head but whispers, "I should have tried."

"Maybe, but then both of you would have been hurt. Who would have called the doctor and got his parents?" McGee has no answer, so she continues, "You waited with him, you comforted him, you made him feel better. Do you think lying beside him in pain would have done that?"

"He would hate me if he knew."

"Tim, He knows. He doesn't hate you. He definitely doesn't blame you. Trust me Timmy; it wasn't your fault."


	9. Chapter 9

Tim had finally accepted that Pete's injuring wasn't his fault and headed home, leaving a shell shocked team behind. As the date stared accusingly at them, the cogs in the collective mind of team Gibbs started turning, Tim's birthday was a month ago yesterday. He was blaming himself; torturing himself; hence the bad mood he hadn't been able to shake.

Gibbs felt broken, Tim and Tony were the sons he never had and that one had been hurt in such a way and he the all-knowing Gibbs never noticed? How was this possible? More importantly how did he fix it? A serial killer out there meant no down time. He couldn't afford Tim more than tonight but he felt in the bottom of this stomach the physical pain that promised McGee would be helped if it were with Jethro's last breath.

The urge to follow Tim and hold him, comfort him, make him forget the past burned through Tony, an unquenchable fire. Tony knew while McGee did not need or even want his love, his friendship would be key on paving the path beyond the abyss of pain that blocked him now, his own pain at this would be forgotten if McGee was protected from any further pain. Tony's eyes are drawn to Anna and spikes of anger distort his vision.

She knew.

She knew and never told him.

But..

The anger coursing through him fades as quickly as it had come Tony was no fool, Anna was it good person, Tony knew keeping silent would have killed her almost as much as Tim's admission had affected him. Together they would help build Tim again; Team Gibbs and Anna, Tim's past had no hope. Tony was sure of it, he had to believe it or he would stop functioning.

Abby was torn, hate and love battled within her. Abby had known the second when McGee stopped loving her and the months later when he transferred it silently to an unsuspecting other. Her askings for a relationship had been a drowning man's raft she had clung to it. In truth she knew he would not say yes, but her Tim never knew how to say it worrying about hurting her so she had clung to the hope that by some miracle he would say yes. That her kind, considerate always thinking of others McGee had been hurt in this way was agonising torture that blotted all thoughts, darkening the very light of the sun, it was unspeakable. Abby wanted vengeance, retribution and maybe then the tattered remains of her heart would find peace and the glue to fix it and McGee would appear.

Ziva was a cold blooded, cold-hearted killer, everyone knew but in this moment she wanted nothing more than to find this priest as make him pay for every second her McGee suffered. Her McGee? When did Tim become hers? He was her best friend, she loved him and trusted her with her life, but that love was purely platonic wasn't it? The burning pain in her heart that moaned at the past ghosts haunting McGee's eyes begged to differ. As the pain in McGee's voice forced itself to the forefront of her mind she realised she loved McGee. She would help McGee heals then hope for something more. A plan calmed the screaming killing machine inside her but still her fingers subconsciously stroked the trigger of her gun in a almost caress.

Anna had known Timmy. Anna had known Pete. She had never known the secret they shared was this awful. She knew that Timmy would need all she could offer and more. Anna wanted to crawl into a ball on the floor and scream herself hoarse but number six was never far from her thoughts. He must be caught.

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><p><strong>Can McGee be helped with number six on the lose?<strong>

**Who does Tim love? **

**Tony? **

**Abby? **

**Ziva? **

**Anna?**

**Let me know what you think? I must confess, I worry I am writing to maybe 1 person so here's the deal 6 reviews = 1 chapter per week. 12 = 2 per week, etc etc. OK?**

**PS (Less than 6 = No chapters)**


	10. Chapter 10

Hi, I am so sorry it has been so long but my ideas had run dry. But its here now.

I have recently wrote a Harry Potter story if anyone wants to have a look xx

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><p>"Wakey Wakey Campers, the sun's been up for hours," Anna falsely cheerful voice called across the bullpen. As two hands had sped across the white face in the darkness Anna had headed home but her friends had remained chained to their desk in their private pain. "Timmy will be here in half an hour so lets get our game faces on huh? He doesn't need this." Anna gestured around her in clear contempt. "The laptops arrived about ten minutes ago, should I send them to Abby?"<p>

Gibbs shakes himself from the stupor in to which he had fallen, stands and paces for a few seconds. "Right," he mutters half to himself than the watching room, "Tony, Ziva." Two heads snap up in attention. "The laptops to Abby now then Campfire," Both faces echo inter confusion but hurry to obey. Three laptops each balanced carefully on their arms they rush to the lift glad to move and forget the previous night.

Gibbs stares around him in longing until Caribbean sea eyes rested on the coffee Anna held out to him. Taking a long draught he waited as Anna rooted around in an oversized handbag at last pulling a folder from the hidden depths. She flicked through it quickly for handing Gibbs a well-thumbed drawing.

"Gibbs, meet number six, our killer."

"You have a drawing of him?"

"Yeah, don't you ever listen? Ducky told you I was good at my job. I know everything about him and can bet a fair amount of money on what he looks like that but I don't know his name."

"Physcologists can draw people they have never met?" The disbelief in Gibbs' voice is evident.

"Spend six years in someone's head you can predict their lotto numbers," Anna's laugh is cold. "God, I wanna catch this Bastard."

A silent transmission passed between the two and an understanding is reached. Gibbs may lead this investigation in name but until he's caught Anna is promoted to shadow boss.

"Don't let the power go to your head huh?" It is the closest thing Anna had heard of Gibbs joking and smiles softly in relief. She raises her coffee cup in a cheers motion and jokingly toasts "Here's to hoping our resident computer nerds crack that virus." Two near empty cup clink gently together.

Maybe that will lead them on.

Maybe.


End file.
